Hebr. 13, 4.
Marriage shall be kept honest among all, and the marriage bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.
(1) Marriage has always been considered an honest and praiseworthy life by sensible and disciplined people, even among pagans. For sensible and disciplined people are naturally pleased when they see two married couples living together in discipline and unity, bringing up their children in the fear of God, and working for discipline and honor.
The children are to be kept in good health, one assisting the other in times of need, and being helpful with all the advice and action one can muster. Again, where people live in fornication, sin and shame outside of marriage, do not take care of their children or keep them in line, and the boys run one way and the other the other way, and neither show true love nor faithfulness to one another: such is the case.
All reasonable people consider illegitimate life evil and shameful by nature.
Nevertheless, one sees how the young servants and the rabble fall away and flee the married state as a difficult and unpleasant life, and wants to love such wild, insolent servants more and more the free and uncaptured life, rather than such a conscientious, chaste and praiseworthy life in marriage. But in the course of time the punishment is all too much. For besides the fact that such servants willingly defile themselves with sins outside of marriage, and make enemies of God, there are also other bodily punishments: that not only do money and goods wear out with such,*) but they must also pay with their skin. For in such lewd lives are found many terrible diseases and plagues; sometimes open shame and vice, sometimes also murder and other misery. The world is full of such examples, so that God may show a special earnestness that he wants the marriage state to be kept pure and unnoticed. But where sometimes such temporal punishments do not follow, and God lets the bad boys go according to their will. If, however, such temporal punishments do not follow, and God lets the wicked go according to their will and remain with dignity and a healthy body and great goods, there is certainly more trouble to come, namely, God's wrath in that world and eternal damnation.
(3) Just as the mad young world flees the marriage state for the sake of such a free, wanton life, so it is also found on the other side that the devil has so deceived some that they, out of sheer holiness, as those out of vain wantonness, despise the marriage state and have chosen an illegitimate life. As Paul prophesied in 1 Tim. 4, 3: "It will come to pass that some erroneous spirits will forbid marriage for the sake of their holiness. As we see in the pope, in all his bishops, priests, monks and nuns, who swear to the marriage state, and for the sake that they live without marriage, spiritual people want to be praised, who do not live in a carnal state, as they judge the marriage state, but in an angelic or spiritual state, and for this reason alone.
*) Wear out - come apart in fasem.
D. Red.
The first is the one who called them clergymen, as if those who are married could not also be clergymen.
4 The reason for this is that the married state is so common and has no special standing in the eyes of the world. That is why the priests or clergymen have abandoned such a bad common life and have done something special that would have a greater reputation than for a citizen to sit at home with his spouse, to nurse his children with sour work, and the like. For this is the way of the world: What is common, it does not respect; on the other hand, what is strange and something special, everyone wants to have. No one considers it special that the sun comes out every day; but since the thick darkness lasted so long in Egypt, they undoubtedly learned and found that it is a wonderful, beautiful and great blessing for the sun and its light. So we do not consider it a special grace when it rains; but since in the kingdom of Israel in the time of Elijah there was no rain in four and a half years, they learned how it would be a great blessing. The same is the case with holy matrimony among the papists; because it is such a common state, where any peasant may come to, the pope's clergy have despised such a common life, and have devised and performed a peculiar one, which would have great prestige before the people; as Nicolaus de Lyra says in the 12th chapter of Daniel: "The Antichrist will therefore take no notice of women, that he may make himself a greater semblance of holiness." But the good that comes of this is that we should learn from their example that the married state is a glorious and holy life; for the very reason that they despise the married state, they are punished with all kinds of abominable and blasphemous sins; for in no play have they so defiled themselves against all reason and nature as in this very play.
(5) Now, because the married state is a thing of refuge among the saints of works, or hypocrites, and the rude people of the world, and is thought to be either an unholy and common life, or a hard and captive life, it is necessary that from the word of God concerning the married state a right and holy life be found.
The first thing is for the young servants to learn what the married state is for, and then to know how they should conduct themselves in it. So that one does not remain only with what the world says and holds about it, with its mad saints, but what God and his word says about it. Although the Scriptures are full of such sayings, in which the marriage state is gloriously praised, let us now stick to the saying in Hebrews 13, which reads: "Marriage should be kept honest with everyone, and the marriage bed undefiled. But fornicators and adulterers God will judge."
(6) This saying is very short, which, in addition to speaking gloriously of the marriage state, and severely threatening those who despise the marriage state, also makes one think why he wants this state to be held so honestly, because otherwise it is generally despised and fled in the world, as we have heard. For this is the opinion of this saying: that marriage is a glorious, beautiful and delicious thing, so that all who are in it should regard their life as a noble, glorious and beautiful ornament and consider it the same in the eyes of the world, and the world should say what it wants about it.
(7) Such divine work of the marriage state, as everyone sees, is far different from what the world thinks of it. For if the world held the marriage state to be so delicious and honest, it would not flee from it and live without marriage; but, as one otherwise strives, where something good and delicious is to be expected, one would also reach for the marriage state with love and joy, and not so resist it with hands and feet, like a deer before the dogs. For the fact that the world thus resists and blocks itself, and now considers one thing and now another, is all an indication that it neither knows nor believes God's word about the marriage state; otherwise it would probably take a different stand on it.
8) The reason why the world is so reluctant to marry is partly explained above: that no one likes to be bound, and is afraid that it might turn out badly. Therefore it will be necessary that
We will also look for the causes here in this section and show them: Why the holy scripture praises the marriage state so honestly and so highly. And especially the Christians should think about these causes and move them, so that they can meet the world and defend the marriage state against the world's blasphemy.
9 So this is the first cause: that one can prove from God's Word that marriage is instituted by God Himself and implanted in our nature. As this is clearly indicated in the first book of Moses; and Christ in the New Testament, Matth. 19, 4. 5., says: "He who in the beginning made man, made that there should be one man and one woman, and said, Therefore shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife"; and continues in v. 6: "That which is joined together in marriage, that God hath joined together. Let this be to everyone a glorious, great glory and praise of marriage, that it is not a work of man by his own will, but of God, for which God Himself created man; that a married couple can boast of this before God with all truth, that they are in a state that pleases God, which God Himself has established and implanted in nature; and because they live in such a state, that they live in God's work, yes, also in God's right and actual good pleasure.
(10) The pope and his crowd do not have this glory. For they can nowhere indicate that God has commanded them to live without marriage: therefore the contradiction follows, because they remain outside of marriage, that they live apart from and against God's word, will, commandment and good pleasure, and in their own will; which can never please God. Therefore, when things go badly for them, as they deserve, it is not possible for them to have the comfort that married couples have, who can admonish God in all kinds of misfortunes and concerns: O Lord, this misfortune and that misfortune oppress me etc. Now you know that such misfortune befalls me and comes upon me in the very state that you created and established with man in paradise. Therefore help that we in such
Life, established and created and preserved by you, may be delivered from this and that misfortune etc. With such prayer, the spouses may come before God, since they live in their own devotion contrary to God's word and will, and therefore may not wait for comfort nor pray to God properly.
(11) Therefore, if the pope and his celibate company praise their monasticism and celibate life very much, praise rather this celibate life, to which hangs the glorious name and title that it is a divine life, created and commanded by God and His Word; which no monk nor priest will ever be able to boast of his celibate life.
(12) Now this is the first and also the highest reason that one should keep the marriage state honest, as the text teaches. For since there is nothing besides nor above God, there can be nothing higher nor better on earth than what He has ordered and created Himself; as the text reports in the first book of Mosiah: "And God saw what He had created, and behold, it was all very good." Under this creature, which is all very good, is also the married state. Unmarried life is not among them; the devil has invented it, if one wants to take it for a service of God and force the people to it, as the pope does.
(13) The other reason is that God has not only instituted the marriage state, but He has also given His blessing to it. This same blessing is not merely that God gives children, for apart from marriage children are also born, but that God delights in the children of marriage and in the whole community, and gives grace that they may be properly brought up and well nourished and preserved. Therefore, the 128th Psalm includes this among the blessings of godly husbands and wives: that they may nourish themselves with the work of their hands and see their children's children. That is, godly husbands and wives shall have the blessing of food and children, that they may abide, and that they may have a continuance, whereas money and goods in unmarriage are broken and all kinds of misfortune follow.
This should also move us to gain pleasure and love for this state, because we are not alone in doing God's will,
but also find all kinds of blessings in it. And certainly there is little happiness or salvation to be expected from people who despise such comfort and God's promise and prefer to leave their free and wanton life to themselves. It is also to be feared that those who persist in such contempt for a long time may be so provoked by God's wrath that, even if they enter into marriage afterwards, there will still be neither happiness nor salvation with them. As is often the case with fornication and other bad habits in one's youth that cause one not to have much good time in marriage, and that both wife and child turn out badly. For as stated above, God wants to keep the marriage state so that all those who live in fornication and cause trouble will be punished. Therefore, the young people should take care in time, and keep themselves in the fear of God and in pure discipline, so that they themselves will not hinder or endure such blessings that God has attached to marriage.
(15) The third reason that the married state is to be kept honest is this: that in this state almost all the greatest saints have spent their lives, as the whole of the Old and New Testaments testify. But if you want to know why they have all lived in marriage, I cannot give you a better reason, nor a more certain one, than that all godly people have always kept to God's will and word. Because God Himself instituted and commanded the married state, they, as obedient people who needed such an order from God, gladly entered into the married state for the sake of God and their need, regardless of the fact that the world and the rabble loved the free and unashamed life more. Now this is no small glory, that he who is in marriage can say with a clear conscience that he is in the same state as the holy patriarchs, prophets, apostles and other saints all lived in. Since, on the other hand, the celibate life was first practiced by some heretics, so that they made a pretense of special holiness with it; and then confirmed by the pope, as the arch father of all hypocrisy, and praised for a spiritual life.
16 For John the Baptist and others like him, who have abstained from marriage for the sake of the kingdom of heaven, as Christ calls it, have a special opinion. We are talking here in general about all those who want to be Christians and cannot live chastely apart from the married state. It is very comforting to them that they see before them so many great examples of saints who have all lived in the married state and have gone before in this holy order. In truth, this is a great praise to the conjugal state. For who would not prefer to be found with such a large group of holy people in the same life, status and nature, than with the pope and his whole group, who in this and other ways live so publicly against God's commandment and His holy examples?
(17) The fourth reason why the married state is honestly and gloriously kept and not to be despised is this: that without the married state we cannot well live without sin and in a good conscience. For thus Christ himself says, speaking of those who live without marriage, "This word cannot be grasped by everyone." And Paul commands, "Let every man have his own wife, avoiding fornication." For through original sin human nature is so weakened and corrupted that few can live in good conscience apart from marriage.
18 Since the married state is a medicine which God Himself created and ordained for this purpose, as His word indicates, so that we may stand in good conscience and live chastely, who would be so rude and impudent as to consider this state unholy, as the pope does? But, as reported above, he has received his deserved reward. In order that the papists might hold everyone sacred, they have conspired marriage, and thereby fall into the greatest sin and disgrace, so that all the world finds out about their desolate life and says. It serves them right: why do they so wickedly despise God's creature and order? But we should also, for this reason, hold the marriage state in high esteem, and thank God with all our hearts for such a means, which serves us so that we may not, through fornication and other immorality, become a slave to God.
and thus not fall into God's judgment and terrible sentence, of which we will report below.
The fifth and last cause is this: that the marriage state should also be kept honest, so that it is such a life, which, if it is kept right, is thoroughly full of vain good works. For the very love that exists between husband and wife is one of the special good works that God has commanded and allowed to remain in nature, and helps with His Holy Spirit so that one may perform it properly and not grow weary with it. Therefore St. Paul also exhorts to such love, saying, "Husbands, love your wives, and do not be bitter toward them. Col. 3:19, and Eph. 5:28: "Husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies." Therefore, whoever holds fast to such love and does not allow himself to be driven away from it by anger or anything else, is doing a right good work that is pleasing to God. For his word is written here, which says to you, "You shall love your spouse. And not badly loved; but, as Christ repeats in the gospel, a man shall leave father and mother, and cleave to his wife.
(20) Where are the shameful papists who flee married life as a carnal state, as if one could not serve God in it? For love, without which the married state cannot exist, is a great and high service of God, which God, as we have heard, so earnestly demands of us in His Word. So, the love and faithfulness that parents show to their children, namely, that they feed them, clothe them, train them in respectability and godliness, teach them, care for them in sicknesses, lift them, lay them, cover them, and what is more like that, is also a delicious and pleasing work to God, which the married couple must practice daily, yes, even every hour and almost every moment. Now, if we were to think of our own life, conduct and character in the right way, and learn that these are all good works in the sight of God, we would not only be more willing to marry, and to do such works, even though they are tedious, we would also be more patient, more confident and more joyful, even though it is sometimes necessary to
would not be able to do so. For when a husband and wife consider their status and life and are godly, their hearts, eyes, hands and feet must be full of good and holy works all the time.
(21) But there is the misfortune of which I have spoken before: Because these are so mean and bad works, they are not respected; on the other hand, what seems to be glorious and brave, even though it is not worthy of a vetch in itself, is nevertheless considered glorious and great; as we see in the pope's ceremonies and worship: yet the least work in the married state is in itself better than all worship there; for in the married state one remains in God's word and command; for God wants it so, that one should serve the other gladly from the heart. This goes on without interruption in the marriage state. If a child is ill, the parents are ill and distressed beforehand. If the husband is ill, the wife is as much distressed as if it were her own distress or illness. Diligence, care, fidelity and love go out of their hearts in the purest way, and do not sour them; they still have desire and longing for how one may advise the other, help, improve and ward off misfortune. Again, where there is happiness in the distress of children or in other distresses and journeys of theirs or of the little children, there is heartfelt, pure and perfect joy; no one can be so well off, the other rejoices from the heart and indulges him even more. Who will not say, then, that where hearts are so finely attuned in joy and sorrow, there are not all good works of love? In contrast, in the celibate life, God is not pleased with either love or sorrow, although it is in itself a straw love that breaks and tears every hour from a single word, if only one looks at the other crookedly.
(22) These good works of the married state remain in the home among the spouses and their children. After this come first of all the great good works, that out of this estate, as from one source, come all kinds of persons by whom the land and the people are governed and protected, the churches are supplied with preachers and other ministers, and all the offices in the world and in the kingdom of our Lord Christ are appointed.
be. For since it is especially in the state of marriage that children are raised to fear God, honor and virtue, it must be confessed that the state of marriage is the source of such good deeds for all. Whether or not a great deal of wanton servants grow up among them, that is not the fault of the marriage state, but of the wicked, godless people who do not send themselves properly into the marriage state. For he who begins it in God's name will also have happiness and prosperity in child rearing and other things.
23 But that one wants to say: In married life there are many cares, worries, journeys and burdens, which one may be subjected to apart from marriage, since each one has nothing more to care for than his own body: well, let it be so; nevertheless, this cause should not deter any Christian from married life.
24 For first of all, though thou be not married, yet shalt thou not go out free from all things; yet shalt thou suffer all manner of things, if any harm come unto thee now, either to life or limb, or to honor, or to goods. And such suffering will be all the more grievous to thee when thou art out of wedlock and alone; as the scripture saith, "Woe to the man that is alone; for if he fall, there is none to help him up again."
(25) Secondly, even though there is more trouble, care and concern in the married state than otherwise, the married state should not be despised or shunned for this reason. Reason: It is useful and good for us, indeed highly necessary, that God should come to us with the cross and that we should be tempted in all kinds of ways. For apart from the temptation and challenge, we are in great, noticeable danger. We become secure and cold and lazy against God's word, prayer and other things. Because in the married state there are all kinds of hardships and dangers, now with the wife, now with children, now with the servants, now with food and other things, the married state is like a school for Christians, in which they are finely trained so that they do not become fainthearted in temptation and adversity, nor do they drop their courage; but open their hearts to God, pray and desire help. This is also a good work, for which the married state very often gives cause. For the very reason that much distress and
If they are otherwise God-fearing and true Christians, the spouses are urged to pray with all earnestness and to trust and hope in God's help and grace alone.
When such hope is fulfilled, then other good and holy works are also found, that one thanks God for His help and grace; that one praises His goodness and also puts other people at ease about it. All these things are fine services and delicious good works, which the marriage state gives daily under the hands; that faith and prayer do not celebrate, but must go in constant practice, because now joy, now sorrow, now need, now help and salvation can be seen every day, and cause either thanksgiving or prayer.
27. Therefore, the text here says with truth: that marriage is a noble, glorious and delicious life, which not only God has ordained and graced with His blessing, but also all the saints have praised and presented to us with their lives and beings as a glorious work of God; but marriage is also to be praised because it is thoroughly full of good works, as is now said: that a husband and wife can do nothing so small in their home, which belongs to the housekeeping and the care of the children, they are all holy and pleasing to God works, which go according to God's word, will and order, and because of that happiness and salvation must be found in it.
28 Therefore Christ himself holds marriage so gloriously that he comes personally with his dear mother and apostles to the wedding at Cana in Galilee, and there reveals himself with a glorious miraculous sign, that he turns water into wine. That he might testify both with his own works, that he loved the marital state, and that he most desired his blessing to go therein. Such blessing shall remain with the married couple forever, provided that they, as the 128th Psalm teaches, fear God and walk in His ways. For where people despise God's word, knowingly live in sins, and do not practice the love that should especially go between husband and wife, but instead rebuke and beat one another and do all kinds of harm: there is no wonder, although
instead of blessings, misfortune and all miseries follow. For what good can one expect, since there is no fear of God? indeed, since one does not want to have God, but closes the door to Him and His blessing through various sins?
(29) Therefore the text does not say here in general: Marriage is a delicious, glorious thing; but it also adds the word: "And the marriage bed undefiled. With this he wants to delicately illustrate how marriage should be, which he has praised so much, and wants first of all to completely forbid the right defilement of the marriage bed among Christians, so that one should beware of fornication and adultery, as it is called afterwards. For this is the grossest and greatest defilement of the marriage bed, so that one defiles the glorious and honest state of conjugal life and disrupts God's order, and gives cause to all misfortune here bodily and there eternally. After this, the defilement of the marriage bed may well be called everything that causes the hearts between spouses to be torn apart from each other, and to be moved to anger, hatred and other unkind lives. For it is from such things that gross defilement commonly follows, as we have now said.
(30) Wherefore, if the husband and wife desire to keep the marriage bed pure and clean, as it ought to be kept, they shall flee all cause that they may be provoked to ill will and wrath. Do not be insolent or insolent in words, do not make a mockery of all things, but overlook and overhear one another. Not only to keep friendship, but also to know that God's will is so, and that God's word and command require it of us. For as soon as the hearts are embittered, the devil has already found a hole where he can separate and tear the marriage further without effort, so that the bodies are also divided.
31 Therefore the modesty between husband and wife is to be used here, since Peter says, 1 Petr. 3, 7: that men should dwell with their wives with reason, and give them, as the weakest instruments, their honor, so that prayer may not be hindered by displeasure or anger. For a man as the head
It is incumbent on him not to rule tyrannically but modestly and sensibly, and sometimes to translate and overhear the weakness that is especially found among the womenfolk, and not malice or willfulness. Again, it is also due to women that they recognize such inherent weakness and do not indulge in it too much, but keep themselves in check with diligent attention, so that the man is not moved to cheap anger by frequent misconduct. A kind word and obedient silence can quiet many a quarrel, since otherwise anger and blows, and thus all harm, will follow from backtalk and murmuring.
(32) Now where these two things are between husband and wife: that they be chaste and modest, and that they be modest and kind to one another in word and deed, then marriage, as the epistle to the Hebrews calls it in this place, is a noble, delicious and glorious being, since not only sensible people, but also God Himself in heaven with all His angels and saints, have air and love. But where there is a lack of one, that either by adultery and fornication the marriage bed is defiled, or by unkind and wild attendance the hearts are moved against each other: then one must fear that God will come as a judge and punish such fornication or disorder. For it says here, "But the adulterers and fornicators God will judge."
(33) Because the devil takes special pains among husbands and wives either to cause fornication or to arouse the least amount of displeasure and dissension, we should not only fight against this temptation daily with diligent prayer to God and seek help, but also keep and accustom ourselves with all diligence so that we ourselves do not give cause to the devil's work and intentions through immodesty. For this is not the least piece of divine blessing, where such conjugal attendance is maintained in constant unity and friendliness. And the spouses themselves must not give cause for ill-will among themselves by unkind gestures or words; enough cause will be found every day of themselves and unsought, by which one might be moved to ill-will, quarreling and cursing and other things.
That one has enough to do, how to defend oneself with prayer and humility and not allow the devil to take over.
Therefore, it is a very fine and Christian order to wish God's blessing on the new married couple before the whole church and to make a common intercession for them, so that they will begin their marriage in God's name and that it will turn out well. Such a blessing, if it could be bought, should not take money. But now the church does it without money. And yet there are some people who are so rude that they would rather do it without money. They may be let go. But those who are Christians will enter into marriage all the more confidently for the sake of such intercession.
For the married state, if the marriage bed remains undefiled, is ever a glorious and delicious state, because God Himself has ordained and established it, and has also given His blessing to it; and in general all the saints point us to such a life, in which one has all kinds of cause to serve God and one's neighbor, all hours with heaps, as we have heard before.
(36) Therefore, if anyone would not be moved to marry by such a glorious preaching, let him be moved by this, that the text says of those who live apart from marriage or otherwise in fornication, with bright words: "God will judge the adulterers and fornicators. For here you hear, if there were no man on earth who knew or could punish such fornication of you, that you nevertheless should not escape, but before God's judgment you must go; he then will judge as he finds you. So Paul says 1 Cor. 6, 9: "Do not be deceived; neither fornicators nor adulterers will inherit the kingdom of God." Here he finely touches the thoughts which are in people, that they think it is no special sin to live apart from the state of marriage, and yet commit fornication; as you see that the world holds such sin in exceedingly low esteem. But if you want to know, if one does not want to convert, what the end shall be, then listen here: You shall not inherit the kingdom of God. This will be God's judgment on the adulterers and fornicators.
Now think what you will keep,
when you have lost God's kingdom. Therefore, everyone should beware of such a judgment and sentence from God, and do it in time to improve his life and avoid all fornication. Otherwise, although no temporal punishment follows, God's judgment should not remain outside. For there is a twofold sin: that one shuns the marriage state for the sake of a small cause, and that one defiles oneself with sins the longer the more contrary to God's will. Finally, God's judgment must follow. For here is no other remedy nor counsel, but that thou forsake fornication, and bring thyself hither into this state; and therefore not by words alone,
but also praise the marriage state gloriously and highly with your work and deeds, and keep the marriage bed undefiled by chastity and friendly attendance.
(38) Let this be said as a lesson and warning, not only for the sake of the young people who are yet to be married, but also for the sake of those who are already in the state of marriage: that they both know what they should keep such a marital state for, and how they should send themselves into it godly, so that God may be with them with His blessing and they may have a good conscience about it. May God grant this to us all, amen.